The live-action Cowboy Bebop for Netflix seems to be doing the impossible: exciting fans of the original while doing its own thing, and the next example of this is the new opening credits title sequence for the show. It takes the style of the iconic original, new music from original series composer Yoko Kanno, and iconic scenes from the anime to deliver something that looks pretty damn cool.
The title theme is fantastic, taking the “3 2 1… Let’s jam” line from the original opening sequence and riffing on it like a jazz tune. That is, of course, in line with Kanno’s jazz-infused score to the original. The title sequence also gives us a hint as to how the show itself will play, looking more like a live-action anime with a ton of stylistic choices rather than a more naturalistic take on the series.
For those of you who haven’t watched the Cowboy Bebop anime and are now intrigued by the opening credits, the Netflix series follows three bounty hunters (cowboys) with mysterious pasts. Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) team together to hunt down criminals across the galaxy as they try to outrun their past. Lots of action and weird crazy sci-fi stuff ensues.
Kanno isn’t the only person from the original returning as Shinichiro Watanabe, the director of the anime series, was brought in by Netflix to consult on the show as well. Watanabe helped define the sci-fi Western with Cowboy Bebop, and it looks like his flavor is in full effect, barring the show looking drastically different from the title sequence.
Cowboy Bebop is set to premiere Friday, November 19 on Netflix.
